Vintage Baby: Historical Society Seeking Historical Baby Memorabilia

The follow up to last year’s popular vintage wedding dress display held by the Westlake Historical Society has been announced: The Vintage Baby display of items relevant to the historical child will be available for viewing this year starting June 28 the Clague House Musuem.

“Last year it was wedding dresses through the decades,” Society president Lysa Stanton said. “It was very, very popular.”

As the saying goes, first comes love, then comes marriage. Then come baby in a baby carriage.

Stanton said she came up with this year’s theme on Valentine’s Day.

“This year one of our members had a baby and her baby is our youngest member,” she said. “Her picture is in the museum. She was the inspiration.”

The baby will be photographed in some of the vintage items.

The Society hopes to have 30 to 50 items for the display and is looking for either vintage baby donations, primarily for birth through 3, or to have items loaned.

“We’re focusing on birth to 3 but that’s not to say we won’t have toys and things related to older children,” Stanton said. “We’re always looking for items, but for this, we’re looking for vintage baby items. We’ll start with the Civil War and go through the 1980s.”

One of the first items donated was a baby bed from the 1940s.

“People can donate or they can loan it to us.”

Items on loan will be acknowledged with an “On loan by ___” near the item.

The event will open June 28 at an ice cream social open only to members and the media.

(Want a first look? Become a member of the Society. Membership is available for individuals as well as businesses.)

“We’ll have an ice cream social on the lawn first,” Stanton said.  “It’s a nice time to thank everyone, the mayor will speak, some awards will be handed out.”

Members and media will then be able to tour the building and items.

For more information on how to donate or loan an item, contact Stanton at westlakehistory@yahoo.com or call 440-808-1961.

Information is also available on the Society’s website.